What started out as taking a few shots for a
FOV info topic, turned into a romp with the
x3600 in 930b12 out of LOWI.
That plane is just too much fun. Dialed in 180kts and set auto-throttle takeoff. FOV 60, 3D view with Cinema Verite on for G effects. Watched and felt the 3x thrust pin my head to the seat on takeoff. nosed off the runway, gear up, and headed down the valley floor. Oh look, more balloons. Outside of the airport airspace, raised the auto-throttle speed setting to 235 and re-trimmed, angling in on a balloon or few.
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The x3600 is just so well balanced and smooth, that holding a little aileron and rolling over into a zero gee corkscrew rollover is a savory breeze. Inverted AOA indicates only -1° AOA. Between the generous thrust of the engines and point and go nature of the plane, you just nose it up over a mountain top and bank over at the top, roll inverted and swoop out the far side. All done a velvety smooth arc and roll.
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Flew out to the east to get turned around for LOWI westerly approach. In a big lazy Chandelle maneuver, slowed to approach speed, climbed to a comfortable glidepath altitude, and got turned around. 180 for the Class D airspace, 160 coming out of the chandelle turn, setting up for 140 in the glide, then on down to 120 for final. Monitoring to keep AOA zero-to-positive while deploying flaps and slowing.
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On short final, disengaged 120kt auto-throttle, and rolled off the throttle to 40-45% N1 letting the big flaps slow the aircraft down, through 110, 100, and into the 90's for a fly-on mushy landing, stretching the AOA into 3+ for touchdown...
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... and pulled up to the ramp for some beauty shots (with pixel shader shadows on)
GALLERY